Aerosol valve having selectable spray rate

ABSTRACT

Aerosol valve has valve member having, aside from the conventional rim seal valve, a rotary valve comprising two parts of the valve member to control flow. Turning the valve steam makes the adjustment.

United States Patent Shay [4 1 Apr. 4, 1972 [54] AEROSOL VALVE HAVING [56] References Cited SELECTABLE SPRAY RATE UNITED STATES PATENTS [77'] shay Manchester 3,206,082 9/1965 Green ..239/s79 x [73] Assignee: Scovil Manufacturing Company, Waterbu- 3,209,960 10/1965 Green ..239/579 X r ,Conn.

. y Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg [22] F'led: 1970 Attorney-DalleitHoopes l. N l 02 [2]] App 8 4 57 ABSTRACT 52] U S Cl 222/402 17 Aerosol valve has valve member having, aside from the con- 51 I "B65d k ventional rim seal valve, a rotary valve comprising two parts of l 1 n the valve member to control flow. Turning the valve steam [58] Field of Search ..222/402.l l, 402.;2/22/1296 makes the adjustment.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 4 I972 ATTORNEY INVENTOR Joseph J. Shag BYWW- 5W7 \E Q.

AEROSOL VALVE HAVING SELECTABLE SPRAY RATE This invention relates to aerosol valves. More specifically, this invention relates to aerosol valves in which the flow rate may be selected.

In the prior art, there are a number of showings of aerosol valves which permit by some means or other, the control of the flow rate through the valve so that the user can have sprays varying from fine to dense depending on an adjustment. Usually, the adjustment has been made by adjustably limiting the depth of the stroke downward to which the valve may be pressed by providing variable stop means under the valve actuator. Inside the valve, this controls the extent of an opening through which the product flows. The adjustment of the vertical travel of the valve, however, has not produced accurate control of the flow rate since manufacturing tolerances, which may be additive, can greatly affect the depth of stroke and hence the valve flow. Moreover, the bottoming adjustment has invariably required the use of additional parts and somewhat elaborate stop means and actuator modifications.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an extremely simple control for the spray rate of an aerosol valve whereby the control is not dependent on the extent of the ver tical movement ofthe valve.

A further object of the invention is to provide an aerosol valve with means for adjusting the spray rate which does not involve the modification of a large number of parts of an ordinary aerosol spray valve.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for accurately adjusting the spray rate in an aerosol valve of either the vertical or tilt type.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the drawings all disclosing a nonlimiting form of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a valve embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a reduced fragmentary top plan view of a valve embodying the invention installed on an aerosol container; and

FIG. 5 is a modified valve embodying the invention and showing a view comparable to the sectional view ofFIG. 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, an aerosol valve embodying the invention is shown mounted on an aerosol container C and is generally designated in FIG. 1. It comprises the conventional valve cup 12 having an open upper end 14 which may be surrounded by castellations 16 for around-the-valve filling in accordance with US. Pat. No. 3,158,297. The castellations of the valve cup 12 sit on the shoulder formed by the inwardly pressed neck 18 in the valve pedestal 20 of the conventional mounting cup.

The lower end of the cup is provided with a tubular flow nipple 18 which, in use, is connected to a dip tube not shown. The open upper end 14 of the cup is closed by an annular gasket 22 which is held in place by a crimped-in pedestal top conventional in aerosol valves. The central portion of the pedestal may be provided with an upward snout 24 with an opening to restrict the valve movement to vertical. Alternately, the opening may be without such a snout to permit the action of a tilt valve.

Extending through the opening of the annular gasket 22 is the stem 28 of the valve member 30. The stem is snugly engaged by the gasket about the opening in a leakproof fashion. Spaced outwardly from the stem in the valve member is an upwardly directed rim seal 32. The underside of the stem is provided with a central downward annular skirt 34 as shown. A helical spring,36 engages the bottom of the valve member surrounding the skirt 34 and urges it upward, the lower end of the spring resting on the bottom of the valve cup. As shown, the rim 32 sealingly engages the gasket 22 to close the valve.

As shown, the valve member 30 comprises an upper part 38 including the tubular stem 28 having an outward annular flange 40 about its lower end. The valve member also comprises a lower part 42 including the upward rim 32, the floor 44, and the recess 46. As shown, the rim 32 has a mouth in which the flange 40 of the upper part is journaled for rotation. The bottom of the upper part engages the floor 44 of the lower part.

The flange 40, as shown, is provided with opening means 48 and the recess 46 extends outward from a portion vertically aligned from the opening in the stem 28 to the opening means. The opening means 48 and the recess 46 comprise passage means connecting the opening in the stem and the space between the stem and the rim 32.

To facilitate the relative rotation of the upper and lower parts 38 and 42, the perimeter of the flange 40 is tapered and a groove 49 of V shape engages it.

Thus, by virtue of the structure described, the opening means 48 controls the amount of flow passing through the valve. Rotation of the valve so that a portion of the opening means (one or more of the holes shown in the FIG. 2 version) is cut off by the floor 44 will, accordingly, cut down on the flow through the valve. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, with the button 50 fixedly mounted on the stem 28 and aimed in the direction toward indicia 52, all three openings of the opening means 48 in FIG. 2 are aligned with the recess 46 to pennit the maximum flow through the valve.

When, however, the valve is turned to face the indicia 52a, one of the openings of the opening means 48 is aligned with the floor 44 thereby cutting down the passage means. Similarly, facing the button 50 in the direction of the indicia 52b will cause two of the openings of the opening means to be blocked by the floor 44 and permit only one opening to pass fluid. In the FIG. 5 modification, the opening 48' is an arcuate slot rather than a plurality of openings as in the FIG. 2 embodiment. Its relation to the floor 44 by turning, as described above in connection with FIG. 2, will produce similar results, that is, cutting down the flow through the passage means as more of the opening means 48' is blocked by the floor.

For convenience, stop means limiting the rotary travel of the upper and lower parts 38 and 42 are provided. The stop means may comprise a downward extension 54 on the upper part 38 which fits into a depression 56 (FIG. 3) which may be an extension of recess 46. Thus, as the extension 54 hits the opposite sides of the recess 46 and depression 56, there are provided stop means with a rotary travel of the upper part 38 with respect to the lower part 42. Preferably, the limits of travel as set up coincide with the extreme positions as indicated by the indicia 52 and 52b. Other stop means may, of course, be arranged and incorporated into the structure. Thus, reasonable variations of the structure described 'may still fall within the scope of the invention defined by the following claim language:

I claim: I

1. In an aerosol valve comprising: i

a. a valve cup having an open upper end and a dip tube nipple on the lower end;

b. an annular gasket closing off the open upper end of the cup;

c. a valve member having a tubular stem extending up snugly through the opening in the annular gasket and an upwardly facing sealing rim circumposing and spaced from the stern and adapted to seat on the gasket and passage means connecting the space inside the rim and the inside of the stem; and

d. spring means in compression between the bottom of the valve member and the floor of the valve cup to bias the valve member seated against its gasket;

the improvement wherein the valve member comprises two parts: a lower part presenting a floor with the upward rim extending up therefrom, the rim having a mouth within the rim; and an upper part presenting the stem and an outward annular flange about the lower end of the stem, the flange engaging the floor and the periphery of the flange being joumaled for rotation in the mouth of the lower part, the flange having opening means therethrough and the lower part floor having a recess therein extending outward from a portion aligned with the opening in the stem to a portion aligned with the opening in the flange, the recess and the opening means in the flange defining the passage means and whereby relative rotation of the upper and lower parts will cut off more or less of the passage means to vary the flow of material through the valve when the rim is inserted.

2. An aerosol valve as described in claim 1 wherein the lower part and the upper part have relative interferring stop means which limit the selective rotation of the two parts.

3. An aerosol valve as described in claim 2 wherein the stop means comprise a downward extension in the bottom of the stem which fits into a depression in the floor and interferes with the floor at the ends of its travel.

4. An aerosol valve as described in claim 1 wherein the rim of the flange is tapered outward in section and the notch is V- shaped in cross section in the area of their joumaled engagement.

5. An aerosol valve as described in claim 1 wherein the opening means in the flange is arcuate in shape 6. An aerosol valve as described in claim 1 wherein the opening means comprises a plurality of spaced circular holes at the same radius. 

1. In an aerosol valve comprising: a. a valve cup having an open upper end and a dip tube nipple on the lower end; b. an annular gasket closing off the open upper end of the cup; c. a valve member having a tubular stem extending up snugly through the opening in the annular gasket and an upwardly facing sealing rim circumposing and spaced from the stem and adapted To seat on the gasket and passage means connecting the space inside the rim and the inside of the stem; and d. spring means in compression between the bottom of the valve member and the floor of the valve cup to bias the valve member seated against its gasket; the improvement wherein the valve member comprises two parts: a lower part presenting a floor with the upward rim extending up therefrom, the rim having a mouth within the rim; and an upper part presenting the stem and an outward annular flange about the lower end of the stem, the flange engaging the floor and the periphery of the flange being journaled for rotation in the mouth of the lower part, the flange having opening means therethrough and the lower part floor having a recess therein extending outward from a portion aligned with the opening in the stem to a portion aligned with the opening in the flange, the recess and the opening means in the flange defining the passage means and whereby relative rotation of the upper and lower parts will cut off more or less of the passage means to vary the flow of material through the valve when the rim is inserted.
 2. An aerosol valve as described in claim 1 wherein the lower part and the upper part have relative interferring stop means which limit the selective rotation of the two parts.
 3. An aerosol valve as described in claim 2 wherein the stop means comprise a downward extension in the bottom of the stem which fits into a depression in the floor and interferes with the floor at the ends of its travel.
 4. An aerosol valve as described in claim 1 wherein the rim of the flange is tapered outward in section and the notch is V-shaped in cross section in the area of their journaled engagement.
 5. An aerosol valve as described in claim 1 wherein the opening means in the flange is arcuate in shape.
 6. An aerosol valve as described in claim 1 wherein the opening means comprises a plurality of spaced circular holes at the same radius. 